Former Delhi chief minister and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Confident of winning as many as seats as it did in 2020, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced 65,000 ‘Revdi pe Charcha’ (Discussion on Freebies) meetings across Delhi from November 25, claiming that the BJP will scrap facilities like free power and free water if people vote them to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.
During the fortnight-long campaign that ends on December 10, AAP grassroot leaders and workers would reach to all families across the national capital publicising six major freebies, which Kejriwal claimed the BJP would end once it is voted to power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has said that ‘revdis’ should be scrapped.
AAP has been in campaign mode after the Lok Sabha elections with senior leaders, including Kejriwal, holding a series of ‘padayatra’ and MLAs reaching out to households through ‘Your MLA at Your Doorsteps’ among others. The party also announced 11 candidates on Thursday to become the first party in Delhi to choose their contenders.
Free power till first 200 units, 20,000 litre free water, free education, mohalla clinics, free bus ride for women and the free pilgrimage scheme for elderly will be highlighted by the AAP teams visiting households during the campaign. The emphasis of the campaign would be that the BJP would throw these “facilities” in the bin if people vote for them.
Kejriwal said, “we have given these six facilities. BJP says these should be scrapped. Delhiites should tell us whether we should scrap it or not? If BJP comes to power, all these will be scrapped. Not one of the 20 states governed by BJP (and its allies) have such schemes.” There will be around 65,000 meetings covering all localities, including housing societies.
Putting emphasis on providing free power with no power cuts and free water, he said one should check the status of power supply in the neighbouring BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. “Not a single state governed by BJP has uninterrupted power supply. If you vote for BJP, your power bills will be in thousands of rupees,” he said.
Kejriwal also said the AAP campaigners will also explain to voters about the work done by the government despite Delhi being a “half state”, as the union government has control over a number of issues. “In ten years, we have done our work and we are publicising it. We have done our part. The other half – the union government – should tell what they did?” he said.
He said he heard a senior leader saying that the BJP would do the work Kejriwal is doing and people should vote for them. If it is so, Kejriwal said, why should people vote for the “duplicate” when AAP is doing its job.
Kejriwal also said the budget announcement of providing Rs 1,000 for women every month would be implemented soon.